Hailstorms ─ Prediction, Control and Damage Assessment

Each year hailstorm damage to human life, property, livestock, and agriculture is appalling in nature. Broadly, there are two problems related with hailstorms i.e. cloud physics problem of the growth of hailstones and the synoptic problem which relates to the thermodynamic investigation of the conditions that produce hailstorms. Thus, present book discusses climatology, physical properties of hail, measurements, prediction, control and damage assessment. Separate chapter discusses the typical features of hailstorm formation. Forecasters in any part of the world could find fair order of similarity in the synoptic models discussed amongst the four regions of India, with their regions, too.

Prabhat Kumar was conferred Ph.D.(Mathematics) by Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi for his researches in Fluid Mechanics and Magnetohydrodynamics (MHD). As post-doctoral research fellow of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), India, he initiated innovative researches in artificial rain making through MHD. He was also commissioned in Meteorological Branch of Indian Air Force (IAF), wherein he served for 22 years. His glorious IAF tenure included Operational Weather Forecasting at various regions of India. He did Theoretical as well as applied researches and modelling in Mountain Waves at Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. He was also Senior Instructor, and guided M.Phil and Ph.D in Meteorology at Air Administrative College, Coimbatore – affiliated to Bharathiar University, Coimbatore, India. He is recognized Ph. D guide from the Department of Mathematics and also from the Department of Atmospheric and Space Science, University of Pune, India He is recipient of President of India Medal for meritorious services. He was awarded "Best Application Paper Award" at National Systems Conference, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India. He was guest speaker at University of Melbourn, and at CSIRO, Melbourn, Australia and at Estov University, Budapest, Hungary. His key areas of researches include Mountain Waves, Air Pollution, Thunderstorm, Duststorm and Hailstorm, Tropical Storm and Climate Dynamics.